How not to run a federal agency
A few years back, when I started receiving Youth Allowance, it was all well and good that it was paid into my parents’ bank account.
Now, according to a letter I received from Murwillumbah in NSW, it’s apparently a violation of social security law for this situation to continue, and I’ll be drawn and quartered if I don’t fill in this here form within 28 days.
Way to go, kids. Quality bureaucracy that you’re running there.
Oh, and to add to my post from yesterday: how intriguing that today the Environment Minister has also decided to step down into the back-bench. And how curious to hear so many leaders applauding Gallop for his “bravery” in admitting to depression without mentioning the state of mental health services around the country. John Howard, in particular, nicely ignored that while Gallop took a break to deal with mental illness, his ‘welfare-to-work’ changes force people to do the opposite.
There was a news report the other week, where they were talking about having a new mental health hospital. I thought, “finally, they are doing something about it!” but then, the stupid residents of the suburb (I think it was somewhere near nedlands?) were like “oh no, you can’t put that there, its too close to normal people!”
ok, so they didn’t say normal people, they said schools and the like… but still. I was annoyed. It was only supposed to be a low grade facility. I mean, we can’t exactly go saving our mental health system by building hospitals in the middle of the desert now can we?
Yup, I remember that too. I think this is what you’re talking about, although while looking for that article I was surprised to come across this almost identical one. It’s not like mentally ill patients are criminals or anything, but hey, everyone still seems to think they are.
Unless that mindset changes I doubt there’ll be much real progress on the issue anytime soon …